Washington, DC—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made the following statement today on the floor of the U.S. Senate following the swearing-in of Sen. Ted Kaufman. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery:

“On behalf of all Senators, I congratulate and welcome our new colleague, Senator Ted Kaufman. Ted Kaufman earned his Bachelor’s degree from Duke University and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He moved to Delaware to work for the DuPont Company, working in finance, technical and marketing positions.

“When Joe Biden was elected to the United States Senate from Delaware at the age of twenty-nine in 1973, Senator asked Ted to take a leave from DuPont to help him set up his new office in Washington.

“Senator Biden asked Ted for one year – Ted wound up giving him 20. That is a remarkable tenure. It shows Ted Kaufman’s extraordinary loyalty to the service of his country.

“In this time of great consequence, Senator Kaufman’s 20 years of experience, and the wisdom accumulated over those years, will serve him well as he serves the people of Delaware in the United States Senate. Senator Kaufman, welcome home.”